The Ruined Death Knight

"Master, I..." With sweat starting to appear on his forehead, Merrick had a distressed look on his face.

Merrick knew very well of his current situation.

Having already learned of that cursed contract´s popularity, he knew that this century-old magic caster would do everything he could to get his hand on Danzel when he learn that he can put runes on weapons just like the one he wielded.

Although he was safe for the moment, the cards that he was dealt with in this situation seemed grim.

If he were to reveal Danzel to Nevvan right now, he could confidently say that Danzel would run away without a second thought.

If that were to happen and Danzel managed to vanish, even if he told the truth on Nevvan.

He wasn't confident to say that Nevvan wouldn´t kill him from his rage alone, as he would be practically the one who notified Danzel to run away.

Thus, coming into the current dilemma.

`Should I tell him or not...´ Merrick thought over and over again, without founding a solution in hand.

`I have to make the master Nevvan figure out my situation without him killing me here or breaking the contract...´

Gulping his saliva down, he nervously said.

"I found that he is staying around the area where poor life..."

Looking at Merrick's eyes, Nevvam frowned.

"Why are you so vague about it? Tell me the details already."

"I...got nothing else to report, master Nevvan." Merrick said with his head looking at the floor.

"You..." 

The room temperature rapidly decreased, making Merrick shaken uncontrollably from fear.

"So you are telling me that you found nothing about him? Even when that person has supposedly killed an anomaly?"

"Yes...please forgive me master Nevvan." Merrick went down to his knees with his head still down, not daring to meet the archmages gaze.

Nevvan simply looked at Merrick with a cold gaze.

Having been in charge of the whole Nercana for years, he knew the staff that was working for him quite well, that included Merrick.

A formerly mercenary combatant that became a member of the association 5 years ago.

Although he was a mere 2nd-tier, Merrick proved himself of his information gathering skills.

Although his ability limited him to take over the easier and the so not important jobs, till yet he never failed to dissatisfied Nevvan as he did now.

Nevvan knew that humans were animals that reached the top with the failure of others and that failure could not be avoided.

But when Nevvan was starting at Merrick, he didn't see such failure, but something different.

As failure is the product of an action, Merrick who didn't state the reason for his failure made Nevvan think that he was lying to him.

And the fact he was lying to obviously made it all the more suspicious.

'Right, he became nervous when I mention that guy Danzel...'

Closing his eyes, Nevvan thought for a moment before looking at the contract that was bought to him by the union.

'Someone of the lowest stage of the 3rd level shouldn't be possessing a ring of spatial storage, to begin with.'

'Unless he is a highly esteemed noble or a great mage with the potential of reaching the archmage level. Getting your hand on one of those would have been done by stealing...'

Having come to a sudden realization, he put a small grin on his face.

"So that's how it is..."

Standing up from his seat, Navvan gaveerrick a look before going with this staff towards the door.

"I will deal with you later, but as for now you are prohibited to leave this building before I say so"

Closing the door of his office, mana spread to his surroundings.

"To think that I would go out of my way to find someone" mumbling to himself, he disappeared from the spot, leaving no trace behind of him being there.

****

At the same time, outside the shop where Danzel was.

"Sigh...no luck this time either" the man with the red hair put the bounty back.

"Hey Serras, we have been looking for days long, shouldn´t we just give up at this point? Our funds also getting rather short." The girl with short blond hair wearing robes and holding a wooden staff said from his side.

"We can´t just give up like this, Naomi. That bastard has to be hiding here just like he did in Bernes. If we were to catch him then the gold that we will receive would be enough for us to get better equipment and live in luxury for a few years." Serras said slightly annoyed.

"Naomi has a point, Serras." The girl beside Naomi said.

Compared to Naomi, she had dark violet long hair with a much mature look and a developed body in the chest area.

"Ugh..not you too, Sumire..."

Seeking help from his side, he stared with a pleading look at the tall man who had a mace to his back.

"Bernard, hel-"

"No, I don´t want t to involve in that conversation." Bernard imminently cut Serras's mind sentence, knowing too well that he will regret it if he helped Serras in the conversation with the girls.

`Tch, traitor´

"Hey, Jack! Didn´t you tell us that he will be here?" Serras said as he pointed his finger at the short guy with many knives around his clothing.

"..."

Jack didn´t even spare a glance at Serras and simply stayed frozen.

`Like I would let you ignore me!´

Reaching his hand to touch his shoulder, Jack moved to the side and looked at a particular shop that was opposite to them.

`This feeling...´

"Look, even Jack doesn´t want to agre-" 

"Let´s move to that store over there." Jack said, disregarding Naomi speaking.

"Huh?" 

Seeing him move towards another shop, everyone looked at each other before following along.

"Hey, Jack! Why would do you suddenly want to go in here? I don´t see anything interesting inside there." Naomi complained from the side

Ignoring her, Jack looked around the shop without seeing anyone except the shopkeeper.

`Was it my imagination?´ 

As he was about to turn back and leave, out of the other side of the shelves came to a tall figure wearing a black cloak around his body.

At first, he didn´t pay that figure any need, but as such as the figure walked past him a feeling of danger together with a similar feeling of being watched came behind him.

`This guy!´

Turning hastily, he gripped the upper limp of the cloaked figure's right arm.

"Hey, could I ask you somethi-" As Jack turned the man to the side, he broke into cold sweat upon seeing a long blade being held from the man's left arm and pointed at his throat.

"Let me go..." A cold voice came behind the man's helmed.

With wide-open eyes, Jack let the man's arm go and took a step back.

"I-I apologize, I seem to have mistaken you for someone else..." 

The man holding the sword stared for a second into Jack´s eyes before sheathing the blade back to this sheath, he turned back to leave the store.

As things happen too fast, only Sumire and Bernard noticed the man's actions.

"This bastard, pointing a sword at someone else is, give me a second to teach him a lesson-" Bernard said who was shortly stopped by Sumire.

"Why are you stopping me, Sumire? Didn´t you see what this bastard has done to Jack?"

"Hmm, did we miss something?" Serras and Naomi turned around, looking confused at those two.

Shaking her head, Sumire turned and looked at Jack cold stare.

"Hey Jack, was this person by any chance..."

Nodding his head, Jack said in a solemn tone.

"Yes, that guy was it. He is our target..."

"Huh? What do you mean by that Jack? what target?" Serras said in a serious tone.

"Pointing at the door that the cloaked figure had already left, Jack replied.

"That guy who just passed us is probably, No. He is definitely the man we are searching for."

"Wait, you don´t mean!" Shocked, Serras stared at Jack.

"He was Rue Danzel, the man in the bounty."

Hearing that, Serras put a big grin on his face, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

"Why didn´t you tell us then! If we wait here any longer he will get away!"

Seeing that Serras was about to run after Danzel, Jack blocked his path.

"What are you-"

"Serras! Calm down. I can understand how you will but running after he would lead only to trouble."

Looking at the confused Serras, Jack sighed to himself.

"Though you might not know, that guy already sold an incredible item to the outside. And like us, they are way more people searching for that man. If we were to reveal his identity to them without doubt, those people will come flocking like how birds would do if you drop pieces of bread to the ground."

"If that were to happen, even if we were to catch him, others will shortly after stealing him from us..."

Hearing Jack's explanation, Serras ground his teeth to each other out of frustration.

"Then what should we do!? We can´t let him just go away!"

"There is only one thing we can do..." Showing a big grin on his face, Jack replied with an amused tone.

"We just got to tail him until he is isolated from others. When that moment comes, we will strike. After all, he must have a base somewhere in Nercana."

Saying that everyone put a serious face before tailing the cloaked figure.

But among those serious faces, one face, in particular, showed a hint of worry.

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